Anniversary Chaos
by AnimeDawn
Summary: Shougo and Rei have a very stable relationship. They've been together forever, and saying that they're close would be an understatement. Even so, things still do tend to go a little haywire sometimes... Especially when the word 'anniversary' comes into play!


There were many things that Rei could handle - paperwork, threats to Izumi's safety, even sex talks that would have been awkward for anybody else to endure - but this was not one of those things. This was something he had been dead set against right from the beginning, and he'd be damned if he was going to break his rule now!

"Absolutely not! I refuse to do this!" he shouted, crossing his arms in defiance. Shougo's face fell, and he collapsed onto his knees in front of Rei before hugging the manager's legs tightly.

"Please? Please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeease Rei?" the rock star begged, gazing up at him with misty eyes. "Won't you please come? I won't ask for anything else all year! I swear!"

"Shougo, I already told you... There's no way I'm ever going to one of your concerts!"

The blonde sniffled, burying his face in Rei's pants like a sad child who didn't get what he wanted. "B-but why? Do you really hate my singing that much?"

Rei sighed heavily, his eye twitching in annoyance once again. This had to be the millionth time they'd had this talk. It wasn't that his singing was terrible; Shougo was a rock icon, his voice was flawless and even Rei realized that! No, it had nothing to do with Shougo and everything to do with Rei himself.

He really wasn't the type to go out to see a concert. Listening to deafening music in a packed venue bursting at the seams with screaming fans just wasn't his thing; he rather preferred Shougo singing for his ears alone. Then there was the fact that he was always so busy managing Senapro's affairs. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a single day off, let alone a proper vacation! And probably the most important reason why he really didn't want to go, there would be a swarm of girls there cheering for Shougo. Almost all of them were teens, and _every single one of them_ was madly in love with the lead singer of the Crusherz.

If Rei went there and saw _that_... There was no telling what he'd do.

So, despite how Shougo's spirits fell each and every time he refused, and despite how horrible it made him feel to do it so repeatedly, he continued to decline the offer.

"Of course not! It's not that at all..."

"Then why won't you come?" Shougo demanded, getting to his feet and peering down at Rei huffily. "If it's not my singing, then what is it? Just tell me!"

Rei hesitated. "I... Look, I'm really very busy Shougo. I just don't have the time to - "

"To what? To listen to the songs I wrote just for you? Only for you?"

It was hard for Rei not to wince. He made it sound so terrible when he put it like that... and Rei didn't want to come off as the bad guy...

"Shougo..."

Suddenly the blonde was hugging him. His face buried itself in the crook of Rei's neck, and he could feel Shougo's entire body shaking.

"Please Rei. I'm only asking you to come once, that's it. That's all I want. I... I just want to see your face in the crowd this one time."

The seriousness in his tone shocked Rei to his core. Shougo was rarely ever like this and when he was, it was time to listen real hard. This concert obviously meant a lot to him; it must've meant a lot more than the others too, because Rei had done this numerous times before and had been let off without much distress.

But this was different. Pushing the issue might just force Shougo away from him, and Rei didn't want that. Never in an entire lifetime would he want that.

When Shougo pulled back his eyes were dry, but Rei could tell that real tears were threatening to emerge at any moment. He reached up and placed his hands on Rei's shoulders, squeezing gently as he bit his bottom lip.

"Please say you'll come," he pleaded, his beautiful voice nearly cracking as he tried to keep it steady. "I'm begging you Rei, this means the world to me."

Under that wavering gaze, a haunting mixture of hope and fear, Rei was unable to muster the hardness of heart to say no one last time. He didn't want to see that jovial face soaked in tears that he had caused. Even though it would be hard, even though it was something that he dreaded doing, he despised seeing Shougo upset even more. He would force himself to endure all that ogling and listen to all of those girls scream 'I love you Shougo!' at the top of their lungs. He would willingly put himself through the hell that he was always trying to avoid if it meant that Shougo would smile and laugh instead of sob.

Because that's what love truly means.

Doing everything you can for your partner's happiness.

After a long pause, after staring into Shougo's eyes for what felt like an eternity, Rei finally made his choice. He took a deep breath, and the blonde's expression perked up anxiously.

"Rei...?"

"... Fine, I'll go. Just this once, I'll go."

Rei had looked down at his feet as he said this, being far too stressed to manage a calm look at his partner's face. When he glanced up to see Shougo's reaction, he was shocked to find tears running down the singer's face after all.

 _Shit... Did I say something wrong!?_

"Shougo, what's the matter?" Rei asked worriedly, reaching up to cup Shougo's face. His thumbs brushed away the tears, but more swiftly came to take their place. "What's wrong?"

Shougo sniffled a bit, but through the tears a bright smile lit up his face. "I'm... I'm just so..." He laughed, placing a sweet little kiss on Rei's lips. "I'm so very, very happy Rei! I can't describe how happy I am! You have no idea how happy you've made me!"

His long arms reached out and before Rei knew it, he was enveloped by them. One sincere, massive squeeze later, Shougo was dancing about the room, fist pumping and smiling big enough to shatter his cheeks. Tears of joy still clung to his eyelashes like glitter, and it made Rei's heart skip a beat. There was surely no one else in the universe more handsome than that singer. He watched the display with a smile, but he couldn't help but imagine all those girls hovering around him, reaching out to touch him, shrieking his name...

There was nothing for it. If anybody laid a single manicured fingernail on Shougo, Rei was gonna step in. And they wouldn't like it. Not one bit.

* * *

Remembering what happened after that made Rei's cheeks blush something awful, no matter how much he tried to control it. Shougo had held him close last night as they were readying for bed (Shougo had insisted upon sleeping over) and sung him a very beautiful, lilting song that he didn't recognize in a soothing whisper until they both fell asleep in each other's arms. It was so utterly romantic that Rei could have cried. But he didn't of course, being the composed, impassive man that he was.

That night had been beautiful and perfect. He desperately wished he was still living in that moment right now as chicks jostled and pushed him around in their effort to reach the front of the stage. That's right, tonight was the long awaited night of the Crusherz concert and, as promised, Rei was one of the crowd.

The girls were staring oddly at him, he was being bounced around like a human pinball, and the concert hadn't even started yet. He was absolutely _hating it_ already. But this was what Shougo had pleaded for, and Rei had no choice but to sit this one through. He sighed gloomily, resigned to his fate, and tried to search for a spot where he could easily see if any of the various women were attempting to molest his lover.

Abruptly a shrill wave of screams rose up from one side of the audience, and Rei peered over to see Shougo and his two band-mates emerging from backstage. They waved and smiled as they went, but Rei noticed that Shougo seemed to be scanning the crowd for something. No doubt he was searching for the guy wearing glasses and a suit.

"I'm not going to be that hard to find," Rei muttered to himself. "It's like the complete opposite of 'Where's Waldo?'."

Or was it?

The thought frazzled his nerves, and Rei cast his eyes alarmingly around the concert hall. There had to be thousands of squealing girls in the joint. He was one man. How would Shougo see him amidst all those jiggling breasts!? Crap, he hadn't considered that before! He'd thought that just being anywhere in the crowd would do, but if Shougo couldn't actually see him, then...

 _Shit, he'd accuse me of ditching. Rei Sagara does_ not _ditch!_

Girls were reaching up and trying to grab at the band member's pantlegs as they strode past, and that only fueled Rei's sense of urgency all the more. _Don't you dare touch Shougo, you crazy teeny-boppers! He's mine!_ Adrenaline coursed through him and he began to elbow his way to the front of the throng. He had to hurry, because if Shougo started singing before he saw that Rei was actually present, he would be too flustered and upset to sing the song properly. He'd mess it up for sure.

Emotion was everything for Shougo. His singing was based solely on that, solely on Rei himself, and if he wasn't emotionally in the right place, his entire career could be in jeopardy! And Rei was _not_ going to let himself be the one who ruined Shougo Sena of the Crusherz!

Shougo had reached the mic now, and the crease in between his brows told Rei that he didn't know that he was here. Shit, shit, shit! He had to get to the stage ASAP before Shougo got the wrong idea!

Everyone in front of him - though they were only tiny teen girls - was fighting to stay in front like their lives depended on it. For every girl or two he passed, twenty more would form a wall before him. It was absolutely insane! "Shougo!" he yelled, trying to make his voice carry over the ruckus of the girl swarm. "Shougo, I'm here! Look over here!"

He waved his arms frantically, but still Shougo didn't notice. The blonde licked his lips and leaned in towards the mic, his eyes sweeping wildly over the audience. _No, not yet Shougo! Just wait a few more seconds!_

Rei needed to do something to grab his attention, but what!?

He touched the glasses on his face in frustration. He knew that there were too many girls for him to push through. He'd never make it in time; but then, right as his fingers brushed the metal of his specs, he remembered what he did to that damn producer Kisaragi when he was trying to protect Izumi from the guy's pervertedness. His eyes widened, and he took off his glasses to stare at them. That technique had saved the day back then and maybe, just maybe, it could do the same now.

 _That's how I can get him to notice...!_

A determined look washed over his face. He held his arm back, way behind him, aiming very carefully for his target. _Don't mess up, don't think, don't even breathe!_ Shougo opened his mouth to sing the first word to the first song, guitars blaring in the background. He didn't look ready to start the concert at all. In fact, he looked ready to cry.

 _I can't mess this up! I have to focus..._ Girls were jumping up and down, shoving him, trying to knock him off balance without even knowing. Couldn't they just sit still for five seconds!? Rei let out a calming, steadying breath through his gritted teeth. _Ready... Set..._

 _And... Throw!_

Rei tossed the glasses for all he was worth. Time stood still, or at least it seemed like it did as they sailed through the air, and he watched with a knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He could only hope that he had judged the distance correctly. The glasses were flying, arcing, heading on a slow descent towards the front stage.

"Please don't miss, please don't miss..."

 _Thwack!_ They hit Shougo straight in the middle of his face before he could even belt out one note. The girls in the audience went completely silent. The guitarists stopped playing. Shougo stared, with wide-eyed shock, out at the sea of surprised faces. The relief that welled up within Rei cascaded through him like a waterfall. _I did it, naturally._ He tried to seem smug, but honestly he was glad that he hadn't fucked it up. That wasn't an option, and given his situation there had been a lot of grounds for a misthrow to occur.

The manager released the breath he was holding and watched Shougo crouch to pick up the glasses. He closely examined them for a moment, and then a sudden flicker of recognition crossed his face. Rei wore a type of frame that no teenage girl with style-sense would ever force herself to wear, and he knew that Shougo would never forget the plain look of them. His eyes shot up to scan the crowd once more, and Rei smiled. He lifted his hand up.

"Sorry... Uh, those are mine," he stated. The girls around him frowned and looked down their noses at him for interrupting their idol, but Shougo's face positively glowed.

"Here, you should take them back," he replied, gesturing with a nod for Rei to come forward. He did so, and noticed how all the girls were now giving him a wide berth. They didn't want anything to do with him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was that blissfully warm look on Shougo's face.

The smile he wore was absolutely breathtaking.

When he finally reached the stage, Shougo unceremoniously handed his glasses to him. Neither of them said anything that they really wanted to, they simply couldn't in front of all those people; but Shougo's hand touched Rei's briefly as he reached for his specs and lingered there for a few seconds longer than necessary. Those few seconds spoke for him, along with the twinkling in his eyes.

 _Thanks for being here, Rei._

* * *

"So...? How'd you like the concert?" Shougo asked once it was all over. If he'd had a tail, it would've been wagging nonstop he was so bubbly. Rei let out a breath, simply glad that it was all over and had the ribbon of 'happy ending' tied in a neat bow around it.

"It was great. Very loud. I doubt I'll be able to hear you properly for a week at the least."

"Yeah, I probably should've warned you to bring earplugs, but I forgot about that." Shougo grinned and casually slipped his hand into Rei's, locking their fingers together. Rei glanced down at their clasped hands, letting himself smile just a bit. It really hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it would be. Sure, the girls were nuts, but Shougo always managed to keep just the right amount of distance between him and them. Was it because he secretly knew of Rei's feelings about his fangirls? It was possible, he supposed. _Even in the midst of a lively concert, he thinks about me. I guess it's not all that surprising._ The taxi cab they were riding in turned a corner, and Shougo shamelessly used the momentum to lean on Rei's shoulder. "Did you like the last song?"

"Yes, it was really interesting. I haven't heard that one before."

Shougo actually blushed a little. "That's because I wrote it just the other day."

"Really?" Rei glanced down at the blonde head resting on his shoulder. "You mean after we...?"

Shougo blushed even more. "Yup."

 _Is that what he was singing me to sleep with?_ Rei wondered. As he tried to remember exactly what tune he had heard that night, Shougo's grip on his hand tightened. He smiled down at the manager's lap.

"I wanted to come up with something special for the concert, you know? But I was having trouble piecing the lyrics together."

His free hand moved up onto Rei's knee, and the heat radiating from that hand surged through him unchecked. "But after you agreed at last to come to one of my shows, inspiration hit. Heh, all of the best songs of mine start with you, Rei. Well, every song starts with you. That's why they're all so good!"

Rei bit the inside of his lip. How was it that something so freaking simple could turn him on in seconds flat!? Wanting to change the subject before he became tempted to have sex in the taxi's backseat, he asked, "So, why did you need to come up with something special to sing? And why was this concert so important that I absolutely had to be there, Shougo?"

Shougo tilted his head back to look up at Rei. He was grinning sheepishly. "Well, I wanted to surprise you."

"Surprise me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to give you the best anniversary gift ever! So... was it the best ever? Huh, was it?"

Shougo had sprouted doggy ears and a tail out of nowhere. He stared at Rei with such an adoring, sweet face that it could've melted anyone's icy heart; but Rei was too mortified to notice. He was too busy thinking about what the singer had just said.

 _Anniversary! Today's our anniversary!? And I fucking forgot!? What kind of airhead am I to forget that!? Sheesh, I am_ way _too overworked..._

"Rei?" Shougo cocked his head and squeezed Rei's hand, which happened to still be interlocked with his. "What's up? What are you thinking about?"

Uh oh. There was no way he could tell Shougo that he actually forgot about their anniversary. That would break his heart! What should he do!? For the love of God, what!?

"Ah, don't tell me..." Shougo's doggy ears perked up excitedly, his imaginary tail slapping the seat a mile a minute as he came to his own conclusion. "You're busy thinking about when the perfect time would be to give your gift to me!"

Rei gaped at Shougo, completely and utterly freaked that his thoughts had taken such an undesirable turn. _Oh fuck..._

The taxi slowed to a stop behind a long traffic line, and Shougo pinned his hands in his lap as he turned to kneel beside the manager. "We-ell, you could always just let me have it now!" he beamed.

 _Oh double fuck!_

"Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

Rei had to think of something, and _fast._ The singer's hands were already outstretched, his fingers flexing, his face a combination of hyper delirium and excitement. He was practically vibrating next to him.

Reluctantly, he said, "Shougo... I can't give you your gift yet."

Those shimmering eyes deflated like a balloon, and Rei swore that he saw those doggy ears fold back in sadness. "I... I see. It's no big deal, really." He looked exactly like a puppy who'd been refused a treat. Then those dejected eyes peered up at him. "Did you forget, Rei?"

 _How... The fuck!? I thought he was only psychic when it came to Izumi!?_

Hopefully his poker face was good enough to fool that guy. "What!? Of course not! Me, forget our anniversary? I can't believe you would think that!"

Shougo's face screwed up in confusion. "Then... Why can't I have it right now?" He sounded like such a child in this moment, but that was just one of the adorable things that Rei loved about him. The manager sighed. There really was only one way to fix this mess...

 _Aw hell... I guess I'm resorting to_ that _again..._

He made his voice take on a seductive tone as he murmured, "The gift I have for you isn't something to be shared in a car."

Shougo blinked, and then his eyes rounded out as he instantaneously picked up on the meaning. Those dog ears shot right back up and the tail wagged. "Oooh... Time to put on the apron again?"

Rei chuckled at his lover's eager, mischievous smile. Even though it was a last minute decision, he had to admit this was his favorite kind of gift to give him.

"I'll wear whatever you want, Shougo."


End file.
